 First edition | |
| Author | Muriel Spark |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | The Bodley Head (UK) G. P. Putnam's Sons (US) |
Publication date | 1984 |
| Pages | 189 |
| ISBN | 978-0-37030-605-6 |
The Only Problem is a 1984 novel by Scottish author Muriel Spark, published by The Bodley Head in the UK and by Putnam in the US.
Set near St Die in Vosges in France, the main protagonist - rich Harvey Gotham, lives in a small cottage on the grounds of an empty Chateau where he is writing a book about Job. Periodically Harvey travels to Epinal Museum to view Job Taunted by his Wife by Georges de La Tour, Job's wife looking like Effie. Harvey left his with Effie a year ago and disappeared. His brother-in-law, actor Edward Jansen has discovered him and visits him, hoping that Harvey will divorce Effie, to give her a generous alimony. Effie has had an illegitimate baby Clara which is now being looked after by her sister Ruth (Edward's wife). Ruth and Clara then also arrive and have persuaded Harvey to buy the chateau. The police then believe that Effie has now joined a terrorist organisation called the FLE (Fronte de la Liberation de l'Europe) as they suspect Harvey's involvement...
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